Triglyceride lipases in acute hepatitis.

Two triglyceride lipases in postheparin plasma, the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and the hepatic triglyceride lipase (H-TGL) were separated by heparin-sepharose affinity chromatography and studied in controls and patients during the course of acute hepatitis. All three patients had increased content of triglycerides in the low density lipoproteins, and two of them had hypertriglyceridemia. Low activities of both lipases were found in the acute stage of the disease in all three patients. Concomitantly one of the patients had absolute low lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity, and in the two other patients a relative LCAT deficiency was present. The increased content of triglycerides in LDL that may be found in liver disease, may not only be due to low H-TGL and LPL, but also LCAT deficiency.